Mario Canonizado 
The world can be serious, so it’s good to step back and space out sometimes – what better way than gazing at the night sky? Well, this new Bell & Ross might make it more convenient!
Being an adult is tough sometimes. I’m barely there myself, and the thought of a life beyond what I do for Watch Advice is a little terrifying. Still, I could be shovelling sand somewhere, so I’d say I’m doing alright. But tax reports and finance (and if you’re in Queensland, talking about cyclones!) can make anyone long for simpler times – you know, when all we wanted was to become astronauts and blast off to some crazy new planet. The good old days!
Not many watch brands capture that feeling quite like Bell & Ross. Founded in 1992 by Bruno Belamich (Bell) and Carlos Rosillo (Ross), the French brand might not be the first place you’d look for childlike wonder – but it absolutely should be. For over three decades, Bell & Ross has thrived on quirky designs, from watches resembling aeronautical instruments to high-quality, avant-garde timepieces that embrace a playful, tongue-in-cheek spirit. But don’t let the aesthetics fool you, though, as the odd nature of their watchmaking belies an exceptionally innovative spirit.
There exists no better example of this than Bell & Ross’ BR-03 collection, where the Parisian company has often left their mark in many creative and bizarre ways. Often taking literal inspiration from flight instruments, they have converted the BR-03 platform into a flight gyroscope, a flight compass, a flight gyrocompass, and even a flight radar! This time, it seems their design aspirations are much higher – literally, of course – as the dial of the BR-03 Astro takes Bell & Ross to the final frontier.
The aesthetics of the BR-03 Astro had to be carefully crafted to evoke the same childlike wonder of our past, and the artisans at Bell & Ross were more than up to the task. While the BR-03 collection’s case dimensions remain unchanged at 41mm wide, 53mm long, and 11.5mm thick, it continues to serve as the perfect canvas for Bell & Ross’s creativity. Once again, the case is constructed from black ceramic, offering both scratch resistance and lightweight durability – features that have become hallmarks of Bell & Ross’s rare and limited-edition BR-03 collections.
This time, however, the star of the show is the dial: a mesmerising blue aventurine. A type of quartzite stone known for its shimmering effect, called ‘aventurescence,’ blue aventurine has long been used to mimic a star-studded night sky from the comfort of your wrist. And, according to a completely random Google search, it might even help with chronic pain and stiffness – a fun bonus, if you believe in that sort of thing! Atop this faux night sky lies the Earth, captured realistically and suspended among the aventurine stars. Accompanying the Earth are the Moon and a satellite, which have both been laser engraved for more dimensionality and realism. The planet Mars, fourth from the Solar System and our astronomical next-door neighbour, orbits far beyond the reaches of the Earth – but not entirely out of reach.
Looking at the front of the watch, you might be left scratching your head as to what exactly is going on. If you don’t know already, the time telling capabilities operate on what is referred to in the watch industry as ‘mysterious hours.’ While the concept of mysterious hours might seem fairly new, Bell & Ross has had plenty of time and experience in perfecting the art of the illusion. The company has been making mysterious hours watches since 2003, when they manufactured the Mystery Diamond women’s watch, which used a diamond in the sapphire disc. Yes, it all sounds ultra complex, but it’s not as hard as you think: instead of having a traditional hour hand, the BR-03 Astro contains a transparent sapphire disc which rotates once every 12 hours. Mars, which can be seen at ten o’clock in these photos, has been painted onto this disc, and serves as the hour marker of the watch.
Easy, right? Well, it gets even easier – The minutes and seconds are represented by the Moon and the satellite respectively, which are attached to their own hands that cannot be seen due to the Earth, which lies in the centre of the dial and has been recessed into the sapphire disc. With all this understood, it then becomes significantly easier to read the time on the watch! Don’t count on it if you need accurate time in a pinch, though it’s certainly more fun doing it this way! Finally, this spectacular package has been topped off with the use of Bell & Ross’ modified BR.CAL.327, sporting a 4Hz/28,800VpH beat rate atop an admirable 54-hoiur power reserve. The BR.CAL.327, while a common occurrence for many Bell & Ross timepieces, is still a welcome one, with its reliability and lengthy power reserve making it a trustworthy companion to the BR-03 Astro.’. Finally, this spectacular package has been topped off with the use of Bell & Ross’ modified BR.CAL.327, sporting a 4Hz/28,800VpH beat rate atop an admirable 54-hour power reserve. The BR.CAL.327, while a common occurrence for many Bell & Ross timepieces, is still a welcome one, with its reliability and lengthy power reserve making it a trustworthy companion to the BR-03 Astro.
My Thoughts
Anyone else remember Chris Hadfield? The astronaut who went viral for singing David Bowie’s Space Oddity aboard the International Space Station? That music video was not only incredibly fun, but also mesmerising. And for me, as a teenager, it was the first time I truly grasped the significance of outer space. Sure, I had watched Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, and plenty of other sci-fi classics. I had spent countless nights staring up at the sky, imagining distant galaxies and uncharted worlds. But none of those ever captured my imagination quite like Chris Hadfield did.
There was something about seeing a real person – floating in zero gravity, playing guitar, actually living in space – that made the cosmos feel tangible, thrilling, and within reach. On yet another late-night doomscrolling session, I stumbled upon the newly released BR-03 Astro. And strangely enough, that same feeling hit me again: that deep, childlike sense of wonder. Once again, it made space feel both real and within reach. It would seem, then, that Bell & Ross watches, and especially this BR-03 Astro, excel at making you feel – and aside from telling the time, that’s all that really matters in a watch.
Reference: BR03A-EMM-CE/SRB
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 41mm case diameter x 53mm lug-to-lug x 11.5mm thickness
- Case Material: Black ceramic
- Dial: Blue aventurine with Earth/Moon/Mars/Satellite paintings and engravings
- Movement: Automatic BR.CAL.327 (Selitta SW300 base) with mysterious hours
- Power Reserve: 54h
- Water Resistance: 100m (10bar)
- Strap: Black rubber or fabric with black PVD steel buckle
